The ASID tour

Details: The projects are located in the coastal neighborhoods of Point Loma, Pacific Beach, La Jolla, UTC, Del Mar, Cardiff and Leucadia; and the inland communities of Escondido, San Marcos, Rancho Peñasquitos, Spring Valley and the College Area. Designers will be at each location to discuss design challenges and solutions and answer questions. Addresses of the tour sites will be published on the website just before the event.

Tickets: Priced at $25, tickets are available at www.ASIDSanDiego.org. Tickets will also be available for purchase at all tour sites the day of the tour. Group discounts are available. For additional information, contact the ASID information line at (858) 274-3345 or visit www.ASIDSanDiego.org.

‘I remember standing here four weeks before the wedding, and the backyard looked like a bomb had gone off,” says Debra Lampley of the Del Mar home that served as the venue for her August wedding. “The last of the crew left just 12 minutes before our first wedding guests arrived.”

While most brides wouldn’t leave much to chance — not the menu, nor the dress, and especially not the venue — Debra, a seasoned event planner, knew no other venue would do. All it needed was a new pool to replace the existing one that had “chipping blue YMCA tiles”; new windows and casings to replace those that had been overexposed to ocean elements; a powder room with personality; an updated master bath — and, oh, a new kitchen, too.

“Not for one second did I think it wouldn’t be done,” Debra says. Luckily, she isn’t the only one with nerves of steel. Her husband, veteran sportscaster/boxing commentator Jim Lampley, also took the project in stride, and together with interior designer Cynthia Stern of DRP International Design, the couple brought their home up to date ... just in time for their summer nuptials.

“This was a 20-year-old fraternity house that lacked aesthetic definition,” Jim says. “I didn’t know how to fit it in and make it still feel like me.”

Today, the modern hilltop home is a striking balance between Jim’s minimalist, masculine style and Debra’s penchant for homey, shabby- chic design. An angular, compartmentalized layout has been re-imagined into a connected, fluid home; massive floor-to-ceiling windows now capture views of a pristine pool and manicured yard; and the kitchen is upscale and functional — the kind of space where a family of nine is happy to congregate.

The Lampley home will be one of 13 projects featured on the American Society of Interior Designers’ self-guided 2012 Kitchen & Bath Tour on Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Designs range from contemporary to country, each with unique individual touches. This kitchen, for instance, is only 600 square feet but well equipped for intimate family dinners as well as the couple’s traditional winter party for 100 guests. On a daily basis, it serves as a place for the busy couple to reconnect — sitting casually at the center island, just as we’re doing today.

“It’s amazing how often we arrived at the same choices,” Jim says. “Take this granite, for instance; at the time it seemed like a bold decision because we never intended on green in this kitchen. But it was actually an easy choice that we arrived at together. We had never seen a color combo or fluidity like this before.”

The Vanilla Green granite — a pattern of green and creamy white seemingly in constant motion — is just one of the eye-catching features in a kitchen humble in size but layered with texture. Black walnut cabinetry hugs the perimeter. Countertops are covered in white Zeuss Silestone. The backsplash — lined in Carrera marble tiles interlaced with strips of stainless steel — looks at first glance as though it is covered with small stone ribbons. And anchoring the modern design is sleek porcelain tile flooring in charcoal gray. Stern knew just the elements that would make this kitchen unique and coherent, even though her only cue from the Lampleys was a magazine clipping of a black-and-white kitchen with a white island.

“My main goal was to open it up,” says Stern. “We kept the footprint but removed the half-wall so the kitchen could open onto the dining room, rearranged cabinetry to integrate the space with the family room, and incorporated a center island for added functionality. Now the family always has a place to gather in the kitchen, and, because the island is easy to maneuver around, you can have multiple cooks in here at the same time.”

Of course, imagining a scenic backdrop for the wedding wasn’t enough. Debra also needed a kitchen that could perform.

“I needed a kitchen where I could cook for the two of us, yet also for many,” she says. “And I have a tendency to be overcrowded so I needed a really clean design with plenty of storage and the right appliances.”

Stern gave her that and more. She incorporated an appliance garage into the design; outlet strips all along the underside of cabinets; and a combination of lighting, from recessed can and track lighting, puck lights and under-cabinet lighting. Appliances range from a Bosch dishwasher to a Wolf commercial range and wall hood to a Sub-Zero side-by-side refrigerator.

“There are just so many details in a kitchen design that you just don’t think about,” Debra says. “We know nothing about lighting, so we’re lucky that Cynthia thought it through for us. And because we wanted a clean design, she hid outlets but incorporated plenty of them. I’ve actually had six crockpots, a warmer and an electric knife all plugged in at once.”

As for the wedding? It went off without a hitch, the crowning glory of an intricate remodel that spanned the master bath, living room, backyard, powder room and kitchen. After the wedding, the Lampleys even hosted a party for the construction crew. Debra cooked in the new kitchen, and Jim barbecued in their new outdoor haven. It was simply another joyous day in the Lampley household.

“With seven kids, we’re lucky that we always have something to celebrate,” Debra says. “It was only fitting that we thanked the crew with yet another party.”